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A garlic-herb crust adds color and flavor to salmon fillets. These pieces were cut crosswise from the side of salmon. The thinner end of each strip was folded under for even cooking. Cook the steaks until just browned on one side, flip them, and brown the other side. Remove the salmon from the pan; drain off the fat. In the same pan, cook the onion, carrots, and garlic over medium-high heat until soft and slightly golden, about 7 min. Add the wine and water to the pan to deglaze it. Put the salmon back in the pan, cover, and cook until done, another 10 to 12 min. lets from curling. Cook the salmon over high heat until the skin side browns, about 3 min. Carefully flip the fillets and cook the flesh side until it browns, about 2 min. Take the salmon out of the pan and put it (skin side down) on paper towels to remove some of the oil. Remove the pan from the heat, wipe it with a paper towel, and return it to the heat. Pour in the reserved marinade and boil it for about 20 seconds. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Return the salmon to the pan, skin side down. Cook until the marinade glazes the salmon skin, about 3 min. Don't burn the glaze. If you smell caramel as you cook the fish, add 1 Tbs. water to the pan. Turn the salmon over to glaze the flesh side and cook until done, 2 to 3 min. Serve the salmon skin side up. Braised Salmon Steaks with Cilantro Use this as a master recipe and experiment with your own herb and vegetable combinations, such as thyme and fennel. Serves four. 4 salmon steaks (about l-2lb. each) 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped .v., cup dry white wine .v., cup water 2 Tbs. chopped cilantro 1 Tbs. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 Tbs. butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Remove the pin bones from the steaks. If you want, shape the steaks into medallions (see photos opposite). In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. FEBRUARY/MARCH 1997 Remove the salmon from the pan, leaving the liquid and vegetables in the pan. If using medallions, remove the string and the skin. Taste the sauce and, if necessary, boil for a few minutes to reduce it to intensify its flavor. Add the cilantro and parsley to the sauce. Swirl in the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the vegetables over the salmon and spoon the sauce over all. Baked Salmon with Garlic & � 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds Herb Crust An herb crust adds flavor with none of the last-minute preparation that a sauce would entail. Serves four. 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh marjoram or 1 Tbs. dried 4 Tbs. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 3 Tbs. fresh breadcrumbs 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the pan l-2 tsp. salt Freshly ground black pepper 1l-2 lb. salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed Heat the oven to 400°F. With the side of a chef's knife or in a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic to a paste. In a small mixing bowl, combine the crushed garlic with the marjoram, parsley, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and salt. Grind in a little black pepper and stir the mixture until you have a stiff paste. Cut the fillet crosswise into four pieces. If necessary, tuck the thin end of each piece under so that the two ends of each fillet are of even thickness. Lightly grease a baking pan with about 2 tsp. olive oil. Arrange the fillets on the pan with at least an inch of space around each. Bake the salmon for about 5 min. Remove the pan from the oven. With your fingers, spread the garlic-herb mixture on top of the fish. Finish baking the salmon, another 5 to 10 min. James Peterson, a contributing editor for Fine Cooking, teaches cooking across the country. His latest book is Fish fish (William Morrow, 1996.) & • Wine Choices With the clean fla- vors in these recipes, white wines work best. For the salmon with a garlic-herb crust, I'd want a mildly herbal Sauvignon Blanc like Columbia Crest from Washington, or a crisp Oregon Pinot Gris such as Adelsheim or Elk Cove. With the braised salmon steaks, Chardonnay will pro- vide a bit more body. Rosemount from Australia is buttery and smooth, and its Semillon-Chardonnay blend has complex fruit flavors. With the teriyaki, try a chilled fino sherry from Spain. Why sherry? Its dry, nutty flavor plays off the toasty, slightly sweet teriyaki. Lustau and Hartley & Gibson ShellChoose white or sherry for salmon's light, fresh flavors make good fino sherries at a fair price. Or try Shaoxing rice wine from China, or a Japanese sake, both served warm. All three are a bit higher in alcohol, so beware the wallop. Rosina Tinari Wilson teaches and writes about food and wine in the San Francisco Bay area. 47